Improvement in means for actuating movable parts of fire-arms



T. BAILEY.

Breach-Loading Fire-Arm.

No. 24,437 Patented June 14, 1859.

N.PETERS. PHOTCFLITHDGRAPHER, WASHlNGTDN. D C.

Ihvirnn Sterns Partnr Ormea THOMAS BAILEY, OF NEW ORLEANS., LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT lN MEANS FOR ACTUATING MOVABLE PARTS OF FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentvNo. QAS?, dated June 14, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BAILEY, of the city of New Orleans, in the State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new and 'useful Iluprovement in Means for Actuating Movable Parts of Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare the following to bc a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompaanyingdrawings, and to the letters and marks thereon.

My invention consists in combininga toothed wheel or pinion on a traveling center and working between guides, with a pair of racks, one of which is stationary and the other movable, the center of the toothed wheel changing its position, or traveling in the same plane with the guides, as the wheel works in the teeth ofthe racks, such center not being fixed as usual. XV hen applied to revolving firearms, the movable rack is connected to the rainmer, the other rack being vfixed, and an operating-lever attached to the wheel, the wheel being free to travel in the guides, and thereby, on its revolution in the racks, to give a length of motion to the rammer equal to the distance passed over by the wheel in its compound rotating` and rectilinear motion. The arrangement is the same when applied to breech-loading fire-arms, and also to ordnance, in all cases the required ymovement being effected by acting on the toothed wheel or pinion on a traveling center through the operating-lever or other mechanical equivalent;

Having thus stated, in general, the nature of myinvention, I will proceed to describe more particularly in what manner it can be carried into practical operation, referring to the several figures of the drawings, forming part of this specification, and representing different conditions ofthe application of the invention.

Figure 1 represents to a loading-rammen Figs. 2 and 3 show it as applied to the closing ofthe opening at the back part of the breech of a breech-loading gun. Fig. 4 shows its application to the mov ing of the barrel of a breech-loading gun, and

Figs. 5 and 6 represent it as applied to the wedge for breech-loading ordnance.

In all these figures the same letters and marks of reference indicate corresponding parts.

the invention applied` a marks the toothed wheel or pinion on the traveling center; b, the Xed rack, c, the movingor 1sliding rack united or connected to the part of the arm required to be moved; d, the operating-lever iixed to the axis or traveling center of the toothed wheel or pinion a.

On reference to Fig. lit will be understood that by acting on the evcr d the toothed wheel or pinion a will be caused to work in both racks b and c, and will communicate to the loading-rammer c* a motion compounded of the revolution of the wheel c in gear with the racks c and Z1, and the traveling of the wheel carrying with it the rack c.

In Fig. 2 the sliding rack c is on the wedge 0*, which is slid vertically into its position, in order to close the opening at the back `part ofthe breech, where the charge has been introduced. The operating-lever in this case is the guard, one end of which is fixed to the axis of the toothed wheel or pinion c, and the other end is passed into a catch on the stock. When loading. it is drawn out from the said catch and used as an ordinary lever.

Fig. 3 is a transverse view of the breech, showing the wedge. Y

In Fig. 4 the sliding rack c is on theabarrel 0*, which is made to slide, as required, within a tube or guide, c, and the iiXed rack is on a stationary frame, f. In this case there is a cam on the traveling axis of the wheel or pinion c, which, by movingy the lever, is brought into contact with the projecting end g of the bolth, so as to turn the latter into the position shown'by dotted lines and allow the projection il on the barrel to pass it when the barrel is slid forward, in order to make an opening at the breech for the insertion of the charge,and the bolt 7L is brought back .into its horizontal position with its end resting against the projection i, when the barrel is slid home ready for the discharge ofthe gun. In Fig. 5 the xed rack b is on a part ofthe cannon, and the sliding rack c on the wedge 0*, for closing the breech, ready for firing. In this case the wedge c:I is firmly pressed into its required position by means of the lever d.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the cannon. Having thus set out the construction and operation of my invention and shown how it may be applied to the different kinds of rearms, what I claim as new, and desire Jfo se- I toothed Wheel changing its position or travelcure by Letters Pat-eut, is- 1 ing in the same plane with the guides, sub- Combining a toothed Wheel or pinion on al stzuitially as herein set forth.

trayeling center and Working between guides Y THOMAS BAILEY.

with a pair of racks., one of which is station- 'itnesses: Y

ary andthe other movable, having conneeted b J oHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD,

to it the part of the fire-arm to be moved, the l JOSEPH ROSENKRANS. 

